Mitchells & Butlers exec poached by TGI Friday's
Restaurant chain TGI Friday's has poached a leading executive from pub group Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) to head up its UK operation.
Karen Forrester, divisional director at M&B, has been appointed as UK managing director at the group, which was sold for £70.4m by Whitbread to Carlson Restaurants Worldwide and private equity firm AAC Capital Partners in March.
Forrester, who joins on December 3 after 15 years at M&B, will spearhead a brand revamp at TGI, encompassing a new service model and a newly designed menu.
"TGI Friday's has always been one of the most respected brands in the UK and I couldn't be more pleased to become part of the team," she said today.
"Everything about Friday's is exciting, and I am very much looking forward to leading this great brand."
Ricky Richardson, vice-president international operations at Carlson, who has been acting managing director, said: "Karen's passion for the guest and team members, as well as her high operational standards, makes her a perfect fit for the managing director position.
"Karen is truly a world-class restaurateur and business leader and I look forward to having her on our team."
TGI Friday's entered the UK in 1986 with its first outlet in Birmingham and currently operates 45 restaurants across the UK.
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Charlotte Maxwell, bartender, TGI Friday's, Covent Garden, London >>
By Daniel Thomas
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